Category Archives: Interviews

10.22.10
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Interview: The Hush Now

The Hush Now are playing The Knitting Factory today at 2:45!

How did you all meet?

Barry: Back in 2007, Noel had written an album’s worth of songs and was
looking for musicians to record with. My name had come to him through a
friend, and we met up to discuss recording. Several months later we recorded
our debut in Burbank, California. Less than a year later we were racking
songs for our follow-up, Constellations. The band had, at this point, not
played a single show. There were some line-up changes upon completetion of
that record, including aquiring John on keyboards. He was a friend,
co-worker and musician/songwriter I had been collaborating with. When the
band finally decided to become an official live band as well, we brought Pat
on board to play bass. He’s a great musician that John and I were working
with, as well as writing music with. The final piece to our puzzle was
aquiring Adam on lead guitar. He humbly walked into our world via the
Internet, and we never let him go online ever again. Ever.

Your bio starts with an ominous sentence about the fact that the band’s
first releases exist as a result of a car accident Noel Kelly had. What
exactly happened?

Noel: Well, the honest story is…I had just returned from touring with my
old band, Cerulean. The band pretty much dissolved following that tour for
several reasons. My broken right wrist didn’t help matters. But folks
started families or made other commitments that are just impossible to
support making minus $15’s a day touring as an unsupported band. I was
reeling. I hadn’t thought much past the band. So, on the day of that
fateful eve (ha), I received a healthy tax return and went to celebrate with
a friend and nurse my wounds. Driving the less than 20 blocks back to my
apt (everybody drives in LA; doesn’t make sense, it just is), with a broken
wrist driving stick shift, my car hydroplaned, slid neatly between 2 cement
barricades, skipped the curb and went slamming into the catholic church. This
happened right around midnight. I spent the night in jail. My one phone
call was to friend letting her know she’d need to grab a cab from the
airport the next day. The next morning, I went to the church on easter
morning and offered to pay for the damages. I then lost my license for a
year…which in LA (because everybody drives) pretty much ended my ability to
work in that town. So, with nothing left, off to Portland, OR…and six
months later I was back in Boston.

You release material pretty frequently, is that a goal you set for
yourself or more a result of being prolific songwriters?

Noel: Well the second part of the question is a bit loaded. I will say we
write quite a bit ad there’s never a shortage of material. Everybody in the
band is a songwriter. Not only does that mean there’s a wealth of material
coming into the practice space, but material comes together quickly because
each person can apply that skill to other people’s ideas. I do press the
guys a bit to keep putting material out. We all have to work day jobs to
pay the bills. But, it’s the only way I know to keep getting the band out
there right now. And anyway, that’s what we’re supposed to do anyway, we’re
musicians 🙂

How would you describe your music?

John: Our music comes from a variety of places. Sometimes we get together,
and someone starts to play something randomly… and we’ll all join in, find
a vibe we like, and form a song around that. Other times someone will come
in with more complete ideas, and we’ll all see what we can bring to the
table. Occasionally someone will present a completed song, which we’ll end
up ripping apart and taking in a totally new direction. We really don’t fit
neatly into any category or genre that we’ve thought of yet. I think one of
our greatest strengths as songwriters is our willingness to experiment, as
well as the trust we have in everyone’s abilities to make what we bring them
better, regardless of whether or not it might be ‘cool’, ‘hip’, or ‘jive’.
Because we’re so organic with what we write, we’re never really sure where
a particular idea or song will end up.

To sum it up: Our music sounds exactly like the five of us trying to make
the best songs possible, and forgetting about any attempt to be ‘cool’. We
worry about making the best music we can, and let everyone else figure out
what it’s worth.

As for myself, I personally try and persuade myself not to repeat myself…
😉 .

What is the oddest band you have been compared to in the past?

Barry: I think we’re fortunate enough not to have been oddly compared to
many bands. We all come from different backgrounds, yet somehow our sound
cohesively garners comparisons to bands we look up to. Sometimes
surprisingly, sometimes right on point. Music aside, our personalities could
be oddly compared to any Keystone Coppers film.

Where do you think you fit in the Massachusetts music scene?

Noel: We do have some bands we’re friendly with. But we’re really pretty
much a group of loners that found each other. We’re not very good at being
scenesters. Who has the time. I’m always working. I’m not knocking it,
scenes that is, we really just don’t fit in. We don’t fit at all.

You have most of your music available for free on your website, why?

Noel: People don’t really pay for music anymore (at least from what I’ve
seen). I want people to hear our music. If that means we have to give it
away, that means we have to give it away. You hope that translates
eventually into people coming out to live shows and supporting the band that
way. And if you believe in what you’re doing, that shouldn’t be a problem –
it may take some time for people to catch on, but it’ll happen. Then we can
start making a living as musicians. Which is all we want.

Can you come back on the process of recording your latest EP, Shiver Me
Starships?

Barry: The process for recording Shiver Me Starships was much different from
our other endeavours. Instead of having a work cd of 10 songs to fill in, we
started from scratch with the 5 of us. Noel had a couple ideas, John brought
one to the table, we wrote a couple together and one just came from a jam
we were hanging on. Having 5 songwriters in a band could be a hindrance to
any outfit, but in our case the respect and admiration we have for eachother,
as well as the natural ease of working together proved to be very cathartic.
Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics by putting 5 musicians in
the same room, pressing record and watching it unfold.

How did the music creating process work differently with the new line-up,
if it did?

Adam: Well the line up is unique to former recordings, the new
guys bringing lots of drive and atmosphere to the solid foundation that’s
always been there. I think the organic song structures and Pat’s bass lines
are the real delight for me.

A blog entry on your myspace page tells us that we have to ask directly in
order to find out what the meaning of the name is so… what is it?

Adam: Noel named the project while it was still what he likes to refer to as
a “vanity project.” The name stuck out for a number of reasons, among them,
simply reflecting the loud-quiet dynamic the band focuses on maintaining.
Kudos of course here to the tasteful mastering of Jeff Lipton.

Noel: I think they meant the title of the EP Adam.

What new sonic developments should we listen out for when playing Shiver Me
Starships for the first time?

Noel: Confidence. You have everybody completely confident in what they’re
doing singularly on this EP. But that is only because of how confident we
are together. And it’s getting better. And we’re getting better; The
classic case of the sum being greater than the parts. Of course I’m
biased, but there’s something special starting to unfold. It’s pretty
exciting.

How have you been liking the audiences who have been exposed to Shiver Me
Starships live so far?

John: So far, audiences have responded really well to everything we’ve
played off Shiver Me Starships. I get the impression that people are
catching on, and really appreciating the broad range of genres we touch upon
on the EP. “Vietnam Giraffe” has been a bit of a surprise for me live. While
recording, I had no idea it’d be the ‘single’ for the album. I knew it was a
poppy number, that could get people dancing…but I couldn’t have predicted
that it’d be getting praise from both casual listeners, and music critics
alike. “For What it’s Worth” and “Pure Gold” have been my favorites to play
live. They both vary heavily in our approach depending on the mood of the
show, the band, and the audience’s reaction. That keeps them fresh for us,
which I think translates to an interesting performance each time.

Which song do you wish you played live more often?

Adam: Daedalus Bound.

Earlier this year, you rocked SXSW now the CMJ Music Marathon is coming up
for you on October 22nd. Excited?

Adam: Absolutely. New York is always a blast. It’s a rare occasion you have
the run of some 40 or so venues in that kind of place. I’m substantially
less familiar with a lot of bands on the festival this year so I’m looking
forward to meeting lots of great people and being introduced to some new
music.

What do you have to say to those who think catchy songs aren’t cool
enough?

Noel: 3 words…Hall and Oates…oh wait, that probably supports their argument.
Ahhh, fuck it. I’m too tired to give a shit what anybody else thinks to be
honest.

What’s next on the task list for you? Your website announces a full-length
album for the spring…

Noel: Ooooohhh, so much to come. We have a Halloween song that just came
out. You should check that out. There’s also a new Christmas song in the
works. I think it tops last years. We’re pretty jazzed. Anyhoo, thanks
for the opportunity and best to you and yours. Cheers.

10.21.10
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Back Up North. Air Waves Interview.

Winter isn’t here yet and Air Waves are already mapping out pins for the new year. Air Waves is a music project created by Nicole Schneit, who has been undergoing a fluctuating capsule of transitioning band members and tasting the crowd of southern habitat. Still, her heart-warming lyrics and catchy head-bopping tunes set themselves apart from the uniformed nature of indie-pop.

It is known that you moved away to Austin at the end of this past summer, what brings you back to New York?

We have an album coming out really soon, so we thought it would be nice to play for a little bit before it is released.

What made you decide to move away from New York?

My girlfriend lives in Austin and we had been long-distance for about two years, so she was going to come here, but I have lived in New York my whole life, so I decided to move there. I’m coming back in February.

Did you grow up in the city?

I was raised in Nyack, New York, it’s about an hour away. I moved to the city and lived here for about eight years in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Have your writing techniques changed with the move?

I’d been playing more guitar and keyboard, because it’s a bit more accessible in the house. I’m trying out different instruments, which is really fun. I enjoy when people take on instruments they don’t really have an idea of how to play. When I play guitar it’s more of a repetition and me playing the same chords and songs, so I’ve been doing more experimenting than songwriting. It’s been less lyrical living in Austin so far.

Is it more difficult to write music in Brooklyn or Austin?

Neither, but in Austin I have more privacy.

How would you describe your music to someone from another planet and who has  never heard it before?

Another planet, like ET? (laughs)Minimal pop, or something similar to that.

With the departure of your last drummer, you have transitional band members, who writes most of the material?

I write the songs on my guitar and the lyrical content, then I bring it to the band and they  take off from there and come up with their part.

Do you have a new drummer on the rise?

We’re looking, no luck so far. We’re trying to figure out if we need someone who lives in Austin or in New York, and it’s difficult because we’re going to be touring a lot.

What do you enjoy about being a part of the CMJ?

It’s really cool to see all of my friends. Even though Austin feels like the music capital right now, nowhere else has as many bands and as much creativity as New York. Even in Austin, when I go to shows and play there, the same people go, I can only really play there once a month, not more than that. In New York, there is a different crowd every time.

You’re currently touring here, on the East Coast, where are you most excited about performing your tunes?

Vermont! I just love it , it’s so pretty there and I’m excited to drive through there this time of the year. I don’t even know anything about the venue.

Do you have plans to tour the West?

Yes, probably January or February.

What is your favorite song to perform  live?

Newest material is always the most fun to perform to see if people like it and share the freshness of it. Right now it’s this song “Ride.”

Which song do the fans ask the most for?

Definitely “Shine On.” I haven’t been playing it that much. (laughs)

How have you been adjusting to the music scene outside of New York?

It’s been very hard. I don’t really have band members there. I’ve played two shows with Adam from Yellow Fever. I can’t say I’ve totally found a nitch there yet. I’m just glad to be working on my music inside my home, playing in Austin will come later.

-Viktorsha Uliyanova

10.18.10
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Voyaging with Seabear

Second time around,building fires, they’ve sailed back.  An Icelandic, indie-folk band, Seabear are pioneering their music over the Pacific coast of the United States. Modern Mystery got to catch up with the band during their quick stop in New York City and discuss the new material and their current ongoing tour.

What is the history behind the band’s name, who came up with it?

Sindri:It was something that I wrote in my sketchbook when I was living in London. It was some sort of stupid slang that these  British art school kids used.

How long did you live there for?

Sindri:Only about a year, I was planning to go to an art school in England, but I ended up going home to Iceland and finishing school back there, London is very expensive.

How has your music-making process changed since the beginning when Seabear first got together? Is it still the same?

Sindri:A lot of it was done piece by piece, I would record bits by myself, then we would all work on it. Other parts for drums we would record in a bigger professional studio, and then used mixed techniques to combine it all together. We didn’t really record it all at once, people would just come in and we would work on it. The newer material is more of everybody’s work.

What is different about your new material from the EP While The Fire Dieswhen compared to your album Ghost That Carried Us Away?

Sindri:It’s more of a band sound, some of the songs on the EP we actually played live before we put the record out. What tends to happen when you play the songs live, you play faster and louder, which for me is more fun, so a lot of the songs were influenced by the energy of the shows. We had some old songs that we took and worked on, re-recorded on it too.

How long did it take you to produce it? Are you satisfied with it?

Sindri:Well, the writing part didn’t take a long time, it was the recording that ended up being a bit long. We went back and re-adjusted some songs.For the next album we hope it moves a bit faster. I haven’t listened to it since we released it, because by the time we were done working on it, I was tired of hearing it. But in my mind, I’m happier with the EP, than with the first album.

This is your second time touring in the United States, what are your goals/preconceptions for this trip?

Sindri:Well, we’re doing more of a west coast this time. We also did SXSW.

How was it?

Sindri:It was great, very fun, we all really liked Austin. We were there for almost a week, then we went up to Washington D.C. We’re flying to Denver after this show in New York and then driving up the west coast and playing shows.

Is there a noticeable difference between the fans from Iceland vs. U.S.?

Halldór : We don’t have fans in Iceland!

Sindri: Our parents are our fans! (laughs)  No, in Iceland during  a lot of the shows, we get support from our friends and family, and to be honest I’m always more nervous when we play back home.

What is your favorite venue to perform at?

Sindri: There is a place in Berlin called People’s House, that was probably one of the best ones we played at, but it’s hard to say.

Describe your typical day while touring.

Seabear: Wake up pretty early, eat something, drive for many many hours, be late, unload stuff, soundcheck, eat, play, load back in, sleep, repeat.

Sounds, very monotone.

Guðbjörg: It is, but the highest point of course that keeps us going is playing the concert.

What albums have you been jamming to lately?

Sindri: A lot of The Fall and we all really enjoy listening to Beach House. Last time we were traveling in America we would always put on Bruce Springsteen. We always have a few songs we like to listen to when we’re having fun, we also like Wu Tang Clan.

What are the next places that Seabear want to tour/launch their music?

Guðbjörg: ASIA!

Sindri: We want to go to Japan, China, Thailand, you know, North Korea, haha!  But we also would really like to go to Australia.

-Viktorsha Uliyanova


 

09.15.10
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Lost in the Interview Archives: Midnight Juggernauts

Somehow this fun interview was lost in the archives. Discovering it was somehow never published on Modern Mystery, it’s never too late. Enjoy!

Tuesday November 10th 2009

The Midnight Juggernauts seem to only get bigger. The band who just finished recording their newest album, stopped by the CMJ Marathon a few weeks ago and were more than excited to be officially playing. I had the chance to sit down with drummer Daniel Stricker one afternoon in the festival rush to discuss the creative elements of the band.

MM: How did you come up with the name Midnight Juggernauts? It’s quite an unusual name.

Daniel Sticker: I’m not even really sure, I think it was something where there were lots of different names to start with and I think that was the one [to ensure] that people would know us, and it kind of describes the music in some way. It’s kind of fitting.

MM: How did everyone in the band meet?

DS: Well Andy and Vin was from Melbourne and I’m from Sydney, Australia and they knew each other from school, so they’ve been friends for ages. Then I met them, I was playing in lots of different bands and met them through that a couple of years ago and then somehow I ended up here in New York with you right now.

MM: Are you playing a lot of shows during CMJ this year?
DS: Quite a few, because we were here in 2007–that was the first time we had come to New York–and we were doing a tour at the time and one of the shows was part of CMJ but it was just one and we didn’t even realize it was part of CMJ, and it was a really big show. This time we really feel a part of it because we are doing four, five shows; and it’s the feeling of hitting the ground running. It can be really tough because you have to get good sound and stuff, but the energy sometimes just makes it an amazing experience.

MM: Do you find it hard to bring what you made in the studio onto the stage?

DS: I really enjoy the process and trying to recreate that, but in a different way, like it doesn’t have the same mood and energy, you know, vibe. It’s one of my favorite things because we have all these toys and stuff and so much old gear and it’s always fun playing with your friends.

MM: Do you like being in the studio?
DS: Yes, definitely! I think playing live and in the studio are different than each other, and when you do one long enough you want to do the next one. It’s such different worlds, but too much of one could be bad, I think. If you ask me right now because we just finished in the studio, I probably say I like playing live again, but six months ago, a year ago it was definitely the studio. Sometimes you want to regroup and it’s also nice to have your own space. There’s a lot of stuff that I want to work on but I wait until I get back, but, like, it’s amazing being in New York.

MM: Where is your favorite city, town or even country to play a show?

DS: We played in Japan because we did a festival there last year. It’s incredible. It’s almost like a forest in a Disney film. There were such amazing bands playing and that was probably one of my favorite places to play. Japanese people are great. Coming to America, every time we come here everyone is really cool. It’s amazing here, the response is way different. Yesterday was crazy we played a lot of shows. We played at Santo’s and it was a really maniac energy. It was like a high to me.

MM:What musicians made you want to be a musician yourself?

DS: Well when I was a kid, like a little kid, my parents used to play Bing Crosby records and that’s probably where it all started. I think when I was really young listening to the early 90’s, I listened to a lot of stuff that was going on and then I started playing in bands, like really raw rock bands. Then I played in some jazz bands and orchestra in school. Probably when I was 12 or 13, that whole thing that was happening in the 90’s.

MM: Are you ever taken back about the amount of attention the band has gained so quickly especially from websites and blogs?
DS: It’s pretty amazing like its crazy how it is now, and of course the internet has been around for a bit, but if it wasn’t for that I mean we wouldn’t be talking with you. We’re really thankful for it. People can say whatever they want about you, they could say really bad stuff about us if they wanted to, so far it’s been amazing. We can’t thank people enough for that because we just go and write these songs and put it out there and hope that people are into it. It’s been amazing, we’re really lucky.

MM: Midnight Juggernauts makes really creative videos, does the band have a direct hand in those?

DS: We do all the videos and filming for the band, and the artwork stuff. Everything we do musically and artistically is the three of us doing it. What’s really important is the whole mood and vibe of everything, and it takes it to another place, and if you get it all right it’s like magic. It has a magic type element. We’re really heavily involved with the record and where it’s going so hopefully that brings out the mood more and more.

MM: Does the band produce their own records?
DS: Yeah we do. This record we got a guy named Chris Moore who’s actually from New York, to engineer the record and mix the record, but we produced all of our stuff and that goes back to what I said before, making sure you get that mood right and you kind of have a clear direction. A lot of bands will write a song and then don’t know how they want the rest to sound. We know where we want it to go to, but we don’t force things, things will happen and sometimes a mistake is like “That’s amazing” but we kind of know how we want it to turn out.

MM: If you weren’t in the Midnight Juggernauts what would you be doing?

DS: I’d probably be a….I don’t know what the hell I’d be doing. I ask myself that question sometimes…what would I do? Maybe I’d buy a place, well I wouldn’t be able to buy a place, but I’d go live in the woods in a tree house!